Asthma: Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps the Government have taken to improve NHS healthcare services for asthma sufferers.

Ann Keen: In 2004, the Department introduced a National Service Framework (NSF) for Children, Young People and Maternity Services to set standards. Copies of the NSF are available in the Library. Asthma has a specific care pathway within the NSF, which serves as a benchmark in guiding national health service commissioners in procuring efficient, effective and child/family orientated services, and also serves as a reference for appraisal by families, service commissioners and the Healthcare Commission.
	The NHS Choices website, launched June 2007, contains a wide and expanding range of information about asthma to help sufferers manage their condition. This includes information on causation, preventive measures, treatments, and comparative data on primary and secondary care providers. Later this year, an asthma pathway will bring together in one place a range of information about the five stages of the condition.
	Published Quality and Outcome Framework scores indicate how each general practitioner practice in England performs in the delivery of recognised best practice in asthma care against the national standard, and that of the local primary care trust.
	World-class commissioning is an ambitious initiative that is being rolled out across the entire national health service, with the purpose of strengthening the commissioning of health and wellbeing services across the board. The World-Class Commissioning Programme will improve health outcomes for people with asthma just as it will improve outcomes for people with any health need or condition, through transforming the way that health and care services are commissioned.
	In addition, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has appraised the following asthma treatments: inhaler systems (devices) in children under the age of five years with chronic asthma; corticosteroids for the treatment of chronic asthma in adults and children aged 12 years and over; corticosteroids for the treatment of chronic asthma chronic asthma in older children (5-15 years) and omalizumab for severe persistent allergic asthma.
	Where NICE has given a positive recommendation that the NHS should provide this treatment, primary care trusts are statutorily obliged to provide funding, or asthma.

Doubt Kills Campaign

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has given in grants to the Doubt Kills campaign by the British Heart Foundation.

Ann Keen: The Department has given no direct funding for the Doubt Kills campaign to the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Although the Department does regularly support the BHF through Section 64 grant funding for other purposes.

EU Action

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which consultations undertaken at EU level affecting his Department there were in each of the last 10 years; to which of these his Department  (a) responded within the deadline,  (b) responded after the deadline and  (c) made no response; and in which consultations the Department secured all the aims of its consultation response in the ensuing action taken by the European Commission.

Dawn Primarolo: In response to any consultation at European Union (EU) level, the Department always aim to meet the stated deadline. If this is not possible, we negotiate an extension when required. We are committed to keeping scrutiny committees fully engaged in accordance with Government guidance and always aim to influence the consultation process as constructively as possible and robustly where necessary. However, comprehensive information on all EU level consultations affecting the Department in the last ten years is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Health: Children

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the  (a) levels of obesity and  (b) general health of school children in England in the last three years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the exact format requested.
	Data on the prevalence of obesity and self-reported general health among children aged two to 10, 11 to 15, and two to 15 between 1995 and 2006 can be found in the "Health Survey for England 2006 latest trends", published 31 January 2008. The data is presented in table 4 (obesity) and table 8 (general health) of the "Children trend tables 2006". This publication is available in the Library.

NHS: Working Hours

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the results of the NHS National Workforce Projects pilots on the European Working Time Directive.

Ann Keen: Full details of all the national health service national workforce projects pilots including locations and where available their objectives, results and lessons learned have been placed in the Library. All this information can also be viewed at the national workforce project website at:
	www.healthcareworkforce.nhs.uk/pilotprojects.html.

Organs: Donors

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has held on the proposed Europe-wide organ donor card.

Ann Keen: In May 2007, a European Commission (EC) Communication on organ donation suggested that the introduction of a European donor card might help increase organ donation rates across the European Union. The European Parliament has also inter alia called for an EU donor card, that would complement existing national systems. However, the potential benefits and risks of a European donor card continue to be discussed by member states as part of a wider consideration of the EC's Communication.

Queen's Hospital Romford: Admissions

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the bed occupancy rate was at the Queen's Hospital Romford in each month since January 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is not available in the format requested. Information is collected annually at national health service trust level, and the latest data available is for 2006-07.
	Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust manages the services at Queen's Hospital, Romford, King George Hospital, Ilford, and Barking Hospital. The 2006-07 data provided by the trust show an occupancy rate of 89.5 per cent. for beds in wards that are open overnight.

WiFi: Health Hazards

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Health Protection Agency on progress on its investigation into the potential health implications of Wi-Fi and WLAN technology.

Dawn Primarolo: In September 2007, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) announced its intention to systematically investigate the types of WiFi equipment in use and produce information on exposures to radio signals from wireless computer networks. The work started in November and should last for two years. The HPA provided a brief report to its Radiation Chemical and Environmental Hazards Sub-Committee meeting in April 2008 attended by a Departmental official. The work is making satisfactory progress. HPA Board Sub-Committee minutes and a summary of background information on WiFi can be found on the HPA web site at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebContentAreaLanding/Page/1153822623782(WiFi background)
	www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947341079(Board Sub-Committee meetings)
	The following answers were received for publication on 15 May 2008

Departmental Managers

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of the  (a) agenda and  (b) minutes of the last six meetings of his Department's Departmental Board.

Ben Bradshaw: A summary of proceedings from each scheduled meeting of the departmental board is published on the Department's website within three months of the meeting. The summary of proceedings from the departmental board meetings on 14 June 2007, 12 July 2007, 11 October 2007, 8 November 2007, 17 January 2008, and 14 February 2008 will be placed in the Library. The summary of proceedings from the departmental board meeting on 3 April 2008 will be placed in the Library once the minutes have been agreed at the next meeting.

Food Supplements: EU Law

David Tredinnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the food supplements directive and the nutrition and health claims directive are implemented in the Crown Dependencies of the United Kingdom in accordance with Protocol 3 of the UK's Treaty of Accession;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 25 October 2007,  Official Report, columns 551-54W, on dietary supplements: EU law, whether the Food Standards Agency has received responses from the Governments of Jersey and Guernsey to the letters it sent on 10 September 2007; and when a collective meeting with the representatives of these Governments is planned to take place.

Dawn Primarolo: Responses have been received from the Governments of Jersey and Guernsey and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) hosted a meeting of representatives from the Crown Dependencies on 11 April 2008.
	The FSA continues to work with the Ministry of Justice, the Department responsible for the Crown Dependencies, and the administrations in the Crown Dependencies regarding implementation of the food supplements directive and Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation to prevent trade in food supplements that would be illegal in the United Kingdom.

General Practitioners

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what weighting was given to  (a) the number of primary care clinicians,  (b) health outcomes and  (c) patient satisfaction with GP services as indicators in determining in which primary care trust areas with poorest provision to establish new GP practices;
	(2)  what score was given to each primary care trust in determining in which to establish new GP practices in areas with the poorest provision for  (a) number of primary care clinicians,  (b) health outcomes and  (c) patient satisfaction with GP services; and what the data source was for each indicator.

Ben Bradshaw: The range of indicators used to determine the primary care trusts (PCTs) with poorest provision, their data source and associated weightings are shown in the following table. For each PCT, the standardised distance from the England average was calculated for each indicator. These distances were assigned a weight based on the three themes and each PCT was then ranked based on the sum of the weighted differences. The following table shows PCTs and their distances.
	
		
			  Indicator  Weight ( percentage ) 
			 Primary Care Clinicians (1) 60 
			 Whole-time equivalent general practitioners (GPs) per 100,000 weighted population  
			 Whole-time equivalent practice nurses per 100,000 weighted population  
			   
			 Health Outcomes (2) 30 
			 Male life expectancy  
			 Female life expectancy  
			 Cancer mortality among under 75s  
			 Cardiovascular mortality among under 75s  
			 Index of multiple deprivation (health)  
			 Percentage of patients with diabetes in whose HbAlc is 7.5 or less  
			 Percentage of patients with hypertension in whose blood pressure reading is 150/90 or less  
			   
			 Patient Satisfaction (3) 10 
			 Percentage of patients seen within 48 hours  
			 Percentage of patients able to book an appointment more than 2 days ahead  
			 Percentage of patients satisfied with their practice telephone system  
			 Percentage of patients able to see a specific GP  
			 Percentage of patients satisfied with practice opening hours  
			  Source: (1) 2006 Information Centre Workforce Census (2) Office for National Statistics (life expectancy data based on population estimates and mortality statistics from death registrations) and Quality Management and Analysis System (2006-07 Quality and Outcomes Framework data) (3 )2007 GP Patient Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  PCT  Strategic health authority (SHA)  Total distance 
			 Manchester PCT North West SHA -1.70 
			 Barking and Dagenham PCT London SHA -1.60 
			 Knowsley PCT North West SHA -1.39 
			 Sandwell PCT West Midlands SHA -1.36 
			 Wolverhampton City PCT West Midlands SHA -1.30 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT North West SHA -1.18 
			 Liverpool PCT North West SHA -1.15 
			 Sunderland Teaching PCT North East SHA -1.13 
			 Birmingham East and North PCT West Midlands SHA -1.06 
			 Halton and St. Helens PCT North West SHA -1.05 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT West Midlands SHA -1.05 
			 Barnsley PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -1.04 
			 Leicester City PCT East Midlands SHA -0.98 
			 Oldham PCT North West SHA -0.97 
			 Blackburn with Darwen PCT North West SHA -0.88 
			 Stoke on Trent PCT West Midlands SHA -0.87 
			 Hounslow PCT London SHA -0.86 
			 Hull PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.81 
			 Nottingham City PCT East Midlands SHA -0.80 
			 Blackpool PCT North West SHA -0.80 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT North West SHA -0.78 
			 Dudley PCT West Midlands SHA -0.78 
			 Bolton PCT North West SHA -0.75 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT London SHA -0.74 
			 Sefton PCT North West SHA -0.73 
			 Medway Teaching PCT South East Coast SHA -0.73 
			 Salford PCT North West SHA -0.72 
			 Hartlepool PCT North East SHA -0.71 
			 Tameside and Glossop PCT North West SHA -0.70 
			 Walsall Teaching PCT West Midlands SHA -0.69 
			 Newcastle PCT North East SHA -0.68 
			 Redcar and Cleveland PCT North East SHA -0.67 
			 South Tyneside PCT North East SHA -0.64 
			 Calderdale PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.63 
			 North Lancashire PCT North West SHA -0.61 
			 Luton Teaching PCT East of England SHA -0.60 
			 Havering PCT London SHA -0.59 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham PCT London SHA -0.59 
			 Rotherham PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.57 
			 Enfield PCT London SHA -0.57 
			 Bury PCT North West SHA -0.57 
			 South Birmingham PCT West Midlands SHA -0.56 
			 Telford and Wrekin PCT West Midlands SHA -0.53 
			 Newham PCT London SHA -0.52 
			 Gateshead PCT North East SHA -0.52 
			 Coventry Teaching PCT West Midlands SHA -0.52 
			 Bristol PCT South West SHA -0.52 
			 North Somerset PCT South West SHA -0.50 
			 Middlesbrough PCT North East SHA -0.48 
			 East Lancashire PCT North West SHA -0.48 
			 North Staffordshire PCT West Midlands SHA -0.46 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching PCT South Central SHA -0.44 
			 Peterborough PCT East of England SHA -0.42 
			 Derby City PCT East Midlands SHA -0.40 
			 Bassetlaw PCT East Midlands SHA -0.40 
			 Ealing PCT London SHA -0.38 
			 Redbridge PCT London SHA -0.36 
			 Nottinghamshire County PCT East Midlands SHA -0.35 
			 Waltham Forest PCT London SHA -0.35 
			 Trafford PCT North West SHA -0.35 
			 Tower Hamlets PCT London SHA -0.34 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent PCT South East Coast SHA -0.33 
			 South Staffordshire PCT West Midlands SHA -0.32 
			 Wirral PCT North West SHA -0.32 
			 Hastings and Rother PCT South East Coast SHA -0.31 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT South East Coast SHA -0.29 
			 Bradford and Airedale PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.28 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney PCT East of England SHA -0.27 
			 Warrington PCT North West SHA -0.27 
			 Southwark PCT London SHA -0.26 
			 North Tees PCT North East SHA -0.25 
			 Haringey Teaching PCT London SHA -0.23 
			 North Tyneside PCT North East SHA -0.21 
			 Islington PCT London SHA -0.21 
			 Kirklees PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.20 
			 Bromley PCT London SHA -0.16 
			 Doncaster PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.16 
			 Brent Teaching PCT London SHA -0.13 
			 City and Hackney Teaching PCT London SHA -0.11 
			 Leeds PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.10 
			 Lewisham PCT London SHA -0.08 
			 North East Essex PCT East of England SHA -0.07 
			 Stockport PCT North West SHA -0.07 
			 Wakefield District PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.07 
			 County Durham PCT North East SHA -0.07 
			 Hillingdon PCT London SHA -0.06 
			 West Kent PCT South East Coast SHA -0.06 
			 Croydon PCT London SHA -0.04 
			 Shropshire County PCT West Midlands SHA -0.04 
			 Central Lancashire PCT North West SHA -0.04 
			 East and North Hertfordshire PCT East of England SHA -0.04 
			 North Lincolnshire PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA -0.02 
			 Kensington and Chelsea PCT London SHA 0.00 
			 Derbyshire County PCT East Midlands SHA 0.03 
			 Berkshire East PCT South Central SHA 0.03 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire PCT North West SHA 0.06 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 0.06 
			 Bexley Care Trust London SHA 0.08 
			 Sheffield PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 0.10 
			 Darlington PCT North East SHA 0.12 
			 Northamptonshire PCT East Midlands SHA 0.12 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare PCT South Central SHA 0.14 
			 Warwickshire PCT West Midlands SHA 0.16 
			 Milton Keynes PCT South Central SHA 0.18 
			 Southampton City PCT South Central SHA 0.22 
			 Barnet PCT London SHA 0.25 
			 South East Essex PCT East of England SHA 0.25 
			 Camden PCT London SHA 0.26 
			 Surrey PCT South East Coast SHA 0.27 
			 Harrow PCT London SHA 0.28 
			 Western Cheshire PCT North West SHA 0.31 
			 Solihull PCT West Midlands SHA 0.31 
			 West Essex PCT East of England SHA 0.31 
			 Hampshire PCT South Central SHA 0.31 
			 Westminster PCT London SHA 0.34 
			 Cumbria PCT North West SHA 0.35 
			 West Hertfordshire PCT East of England SHA 0.37 
			 West Sussex PCT South East Coast SHA 0.42 
			 Herefordshire PCT West Midlands SHA 0.42 
			 Richmond and Twickenham PCT London SHA 0.43 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly PCT South West SHA 0.45 
			 Worcestershire PCT West Midlands SHA 0.47 
			 Plymouth Teaching PCT South West SHA 0.49 
			 Berkshire West PCT South Central SHA 0.50 
			 Bournemouth and Poole PCT South West SHA 0.51 
			 Lambeth PCT London SHA 0.52 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald PCT South East Coast SHA 0.53 
			 North East Lincolnshire PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 0.55 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland PCT East Midlands SHA 0.56 
			 Torbay Care Trust South West SHA 0.56 
			 Suffolk PCT East of England SHA 0.56 
			 Bedfordshire PCT East of England SHA 0.61 
			 Gloucestershire PCT South West SHA 0.61 
			 Wandsworth PCT London SHA 0.61 
			 Kingston PCT London SHA 0.64 
			 Swindon PCT South West SHA 0.65 
			 Bath and North East Somerset PCT South West SHA 0.65 
			 Somerset PCT South West SHA 0.72 
			 Dorset PCT South West SHA 0.74 
			 Mid Essex PCT East of England SHA 0.75 
			 Buckinghamshire PCT South Central SHA 0.77 
			 South West Essex PCT East of England SHA 0.82 
			 South Gloucestershire PCT South West SHA 0.87 
			 Oxfordshire PCT South Central SHA 0.87 
			 Sutton and Merton PCT London SHA 0.87 
			 Norfolk PCT East of England SHA 0.95 
			 Lincolnshire PCT East Midlands SHA 0.97 
			 Northumberland Care Trust North East SHA 0.99 
			 Devon PCT South West SHA 1.06 
			 Wiltshire PCT South West SHA 1.10 
			 Cambridgeshire PCT East of England SHA 1.62 
			 North Yorkshire and York PCT Yorkshire and The Humber SHA 1.80

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what timetable he has set for publication of the outcomes of the review of Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services to primary care; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what consideration has been given to section 1.2.5.3 of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline 40, on urinary incontinence, in the review into Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services to primary care; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The review is ongoing. A further consultation will be published shortly—together with an Impact Assessment and Equality Impact Assessment—and will be open for 12 weeks.
	Section 1.2.5.3 of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline number 40 on urinary incontinence states that intermittent urinary (IU) catheterisation should be used for women with urinary retention who can be taught to self-catheterise or who have a carer to perform the technique.
	The review of arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services in primary care is looking at the reimbursement for IU catheters. However, decisions relating to what item shall be prescribed will continue to be a matter for the prescriber to decide in consultation with the patient, having taken the guidelines fully into account.

Mentally Ill: Suicide

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of people who have committed suicide in each of the last five years who had been treated for mental health problems.

Ivan Lewis: The number of mental health service users in England who committed suicide and the proportion of total suicides which this represents, in the five most recent years for which data is available is shown in the following table.
	The data collection methodology for total suicides also records deaths caused by undetermined intent and the total includes these deaths. At the time of responding, the data for 2005 was 93 per cent. completed and final figures, when available, are expected to be higher than those shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of mental health service users in England who committed suicide and the proportion of total suicides which this represents, 2001 - 05 
			   Number of service users in year who committed suicide  Total number of suicides and deaths by undetermined intent in year  Percentage of people who had previously been in touch with mental health services 
			 2001 1,258 4,560 27.6 
			 2002 1,246 4,449 28.0 
			 2003 1,235 4,452 27.7 
			 2004 1,280 4,518 28.3 
			 2005 1,199 4,421 27.1 
			  Source:  The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. 
		
	
	Information on suicides by people in contact with mental health services is collected by the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCISH). NCISH is funded by the National Patient Safety Agency to ensure that everyone involved in mental health learns and implements lessons from the factors associated with serious mental illness. The Department has been, and remains committed to taking appropriate action in response to the Inquiry's findings.

Suboxone

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he plans to extend the availability of suboxone in the treatment of drug addicts.

Dawn Primarolo: Suboxone is the brand name for a preparation of buprenorphine and naloxone, which is used as a substitution therapy for patients dependent on opioids.
	Suboxone is available for use on the national health service. The decision to use Suboxone is a clinical one and is taken following consultation with the patient about their clinical needs and priorities. Advice on prescribing of Suboxone is included within the joint Department of Health and National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse publication, "Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management", published in September 2007.
	Due to the additional ingredient of naloxone in Suboxone the Department received a number of inquiries about whether the instalment dispensing regulations in place for buprenorphine and certain other medicines applied to Suboxone. In August 2007 the Department issued advice confirming that the prescribing of Suboxone for instalment dispensing by pharmacists is provided for under General Medical Services regulations.

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many statutory instruments have been  (a) made and  (b) revoked by Ministers in his Department since 1997.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has responsibility for overseeing a programme of secondary legislation to manage the devolution settlement and elections in Scotland. Since 1 July 1999, when the Office was created, 128 Statutory Instruments relating to the devolution settlement and elections in Scotland have been taken forward. Of the 128 Statutory Instruments:
	109 of these were made under the Scotland Act 1998
	one under the Public Expenditure and Receipts Act 1968
	18 Orders under various enactments in relation to the management of elections in Scotland
	Information relating to the revocation of statutory instruments is obtainable only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Unpaid Taxes

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much council tax was uncollected in cash terms  (a) in England and  (b) in each government office region in each year since 1996-97.

John Healey: Details of the amount of council tax uncollected in cash terms in England and in each Government office region in each year since 1996-97 are shown in thousands in the following tables. The data relate to the non-collection of council tax within the year to which it relates. The table also shows the amount of uncollected council tax as a proportion of the total amount of council tax local authorities expected to collect if every taxpayer paid the full amount for which they are liable after discounts and benefit.
	
		
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			   £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  % 
			 North East 22,757 5.5 23,354 5.2 25,685 5.2 26,227 5.0 27,948 5.0 27,280 4.6 
			 North West 58,692 4.8 56,924 4.3 60,508 4.2 65,870 4.3 70,201 4.3 73,710 4.2 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 41,183 5.1 44,068 5.0 46,431 4.8 50,802 4.9 51,831 4.7 50,507 4.3 
			 East Midlands 31,908 4.5 29,756 3.8 31,976 3.7 33,711 3.6 37,604 3.7 41,171 3.7 
			 West Midlands 36,594 4.2 37,392 4.0 45,014 4.3 47,816 4.2 47,910 4.0 49,445 3.8 
			 East of England 33,495 3.3 34,918 3.2 36,257 3.0 40,671 3.1 41,703 2.9 40,195 2.6 
			 London 116,602 8.8 116,546 8.2 121,743 7.9 132,875 7.9 132,233 7.2 126,506 6.3 
			 South East 45,715 2.9 48,585 2.9 55,397 2.9 62,963 3.0 64,801 2.8 66,370 2.7 
			 South West 36,962 4.0 36,550 3.7 39,741 3.5 40,136 3.3 43,247 3.3 42,644 3.0 
			  
			 England 423,908 4.8 428,093 4.5 462,752 4.4 501,071 4.4 517,478 4.2 517,828 3.9 
		
	
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			   £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  %  £000  % 
			 North East 28,299 4.3 28,215 4.0 30,442 4.0 28,197 3.5 28,773 3.4 
			 North West 77,930 4.2 81,844 4.0 76,996 3.7 84,148 3.7 91,566 3.8 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 49,813 3.9 51,711 3.6 53,948 3.5 56,831 3.5 63,128 3.7 
			 East Midlands 40,918 3.3 43,847 3.3 43,207 3.0 42,376 2.8 40,447 2.6 
			 West Midlands 52,159 3.6 50,364 3.2 50,002 3.0 53,645 3.1 57,801 3.1 
			 East of England 43,921 2.5 49,732 2.5 52,106 2.4 52,576 2.3 51,735 2.2 
			 London 127,462 6.0 149,103 5.9 151,211 5.6 144,288 5.1 146,765 4.9 
			 South East 65,384 2.4 80,210 2.6 82,956 2.5 82,518 2.3 84,509 2.3 
			 South West 44,812 2.8 46,756 2.6 49,622 2.5 47,259 2.3 48,521 2.2 
			
			 England 530,698 3.6 581,782 3.5 590,490 3.4 591,838 3.2 613,245 3.1 
		
	
	Collection of council tax continues once the financial year to which the tax relates has ended. This means that the final amount uncollected is somewhere between the figures shown here and zero.
	The data are derived from data reported on QRC4 forms submitted annually by all billing authorities to Communities and Local Government and its predecessor Departments.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost of  (a) salaries for permanent civil service posts,  (b) salaries for permanent non-civil service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in her Department was in each month since May 2005.

Parmjit Dhanda: The following table outlines recorded expenditure on  (a) salaries for permanent civil service posts,  (b) salaries for permanent non-civil service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in the Department for each month since May 2005.
	
		
			  Month  (a) Salaries for permanent civil service posts  (b) Salaries for permanent non-civil service posts  (c) Payments to temporary or agency workers 
			  2005-06
			 May 8,202,624 205,788 558,338 
			 June 8,120,424 206,480 553,068 
			 July 8,101,986 220,300 410,882 
			 August 8,799,344 216,541 564,543 
			 September 8,080,274 190,428 445,682 
			 October 6,728,551 205,437 476,876 
			 November 8,569,986 213,079 713,503 
			 December 7,978,621 249,113 494,452 
			 January 8,195,666 168,694 527,659 
			 February 8,418,526 176,537 612,899 
			 March 8,026,454 171,642 -170,519 
			 
			  2006-07
			 April 8,082,381 175,139 273,238 
			 May 7,847,599 159,258 816,600 
			 June 7,985,103 158,687 184,727 
			 July 8,647,698 178,078 1,204,751 
			 August 7,844,778 224,874 -251,356 
			 September 8,126,807 168,405 395,137 
			 October 7,973,285 136,343 260,523 
			 November 9,046,311 195,676 437,983 
			 December 8,674,116 214,262 144,578 
			 January 10,298,460 186,864 434,574 
			 February 15,249,357 231,092 1,692,199 
			 March 6,888,733 295,671 -10,525 
			 
			  2007-08
			 April 8,045,669 186,048 393,423 
			 May 8,189,351 225,695 1,150,187 
			 June 7,808,035 230,700 3,064,673 
			 July 8,282,344 225,167 2,128,605 
			 August 7,877,361 226,726 2,579,247 
			 September 7,961,532 179,249 301,913 
			 October 8,167,576 244,213 3,630,644 
			 November 8,895,203 310,828 -81,759 
			 December 8,355,365 255,610 1,639,995 
			 January 8,291,597 238,952 715,413 
			 February 9,583,643 311,666 3,132,620 
			 March 8,413,649 148,939 3,011,748 
			  Notes: 1. The costs only cover expenditure for CLG central (not Government offices, who perform tasks for 10 Government Departments or executive agencies). 2. Salary costs for permanent civil servants and non civil servants include costs for salary including arrears, ERNIC, superannuation, overtime, travel time, temporary responsibility allowances, bonuses, and other pay allowances. 3. There are some monthly negative totals in the agency and interim staff figures. These are explained by accruals/journals at year end or following a period of larger than normal expenditure from the previous month.

Departmental Public Participation

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on  (a) written consultation,  (b) consultation roadshows and  (c) stakeholder focus groups in each of the last three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: Over each of the past three calendar years to December 2007, Communities and Local Government and my predecessor Department undertook respectively:
	57 public consultations (ODPM 2005)
	34 public consultations (Communities and Local Government 2006)
	48 public consultations (Communities and Local Government 2007)
	These consultations were launched in order to inform the Department's policy development. Information on how much the department has spent on written consultation, consultation roadshows and stakeholder focus groups in each of the last three years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Consultation exercises form an integral part of policymaking and as such are funded from policy teams' budgets rather than a consultation budget and so a total cannot be provided.

Unitary Councils: Council Tax

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effects of unitary local government arrangements on the local level of council tax.

John Healey: The level of council tax is a matter for individual local authorities. We have assessed, on the basis of councils own estimates that the new unitary local government arrangements that we are establishing, including the creation of nine new unitary councils, will allow in total savings of over £100 million annually to be realised. With such savings, the average equivalent annual reduction in band D council tax could be of the order of £90, although of course it is for each council to decide whether to use these savings on improving services or on reducing council tax.
	Keeping council tax under control remains a priority for the Government and we will not hesitate to use our capping powers as necessary to protect council tax payers from excessive increases.

Departmental Cost Effectiveness

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what efficiency savings  (a) his Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies it sponsors have made in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the Gershon efficiency review; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: DCMS has three targets for implementing the Gershon Efficiency Review: deliver £262 million efficiency savings by 2007-08, reduce headcount by 27 posts by 2008 and relocate 600 posts in its NDPBs outside London and the South East by 2010.
	
		
			  Latest efficiency savings figures 
			  £ million 
			   2005-06 gains  2006-07 gains  2007-08 provisional gains  2007-08 target 
			 DCMS Internal 0.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 
			 NDPBs 73.0 126.1 145.0 114.0 
			 Local Authorities 44.7 112.9 112.9 146.0 
			 Total gains 117.7 240.0 259.9 262.0 
		
	
	2007-08 DCMS internal figures are final, NDPB figures are provisional and local authority figures will not become available until June 2008. We forecast that 2007-08 local authority gains will be £154.5 million and that we will therefore exceed our target. Final efficiency savings figures will be reported in the 2008 DCMS autumn performance report latest headcount figures show a reduction of 76 posts at 31 March 2008. The Department was carrying 35 vacancies at 31 March 2008 and even excluding these posts we have still exceeded our target Latest relocation figures show the relocation of 586 posts at 31 March 2008. We have identified over 900 posts in total to relocate over the period and are therefore on course to exceed our target.

Olympic Games 2012: Construction

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what landscaping contracts for the 2012 London Olympics have been let; and what plans she has to consult landscaping contractors in connection with the Games site.

Tessa Jowell: In March this year the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) selected world leading landscape architects IDA Design Hargreaves Associates to design the Olympic Park for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	The ODA also short listed four world-class contractors bidding to undertake the management of landscaping the Northern area of the Olympic Park and all return bids are due next month. The ODA is on course to appoint a contractor this autumn.
	The ODA hosted a very successful Industry Day last year and hold regular meetings with the British Association of Landscape Industry and the Horticultural Trade Association and continue to engage the market as they move closer to letting distinct pieces of work.
	In addition, to help businesses access 2012 related contracts, the London 2012 Business Network was launched in January of this year. A key part of this is CompeteFor, an online brokerage service that matches the profiles of suppliers and buyers, enabling businesses to directly compete for contracts, including landscaping contracts. I would encourage companies in the constituency of the hon. Member to take advantage of this.

Driving: Diabetes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will review the criteria by which those with type 1 diabetes have had retention of their driving licences, including for heavy goods vehicles, reviewed.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Drivers with Type 1 diabetes (insulin treated) who meet the published medical licensing standards can hold a Group 1 (car/motorcycles) licence subject to regular review.
	Persons with insulin treated diabetes are also able to drive goods vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, subject to individual assessment of their ability to meet the higher medical standards required.
	Medical standards are subject to regular review by the Secretary of State's Honorary Medical Advisory Panels and may be amended in the light of relevant new evidence.

Departmental Pay

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost was of  (a) salaries for permanent civil service posts,  (b) salaries for permanent non-civil service posts and  (c) payments to temporary or agency workers in his Department in each month since May 2005.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is as follows:
	 (a) Permanent civil service posts
	The total payments made to civil service permanent personnel in each year since May 2005 is as follows:
	2005-06 April to March is £2,302.33 million;
	2006-07 April to March is £2,265.63 million;
	2007-08 April to March is £2,221.01 million.
	These figures have been estimated for 2007-08 as the actuals are not yet available.
	The monthly breakdown year is as follows:
	
		
			 Permanent civil servant posts 
			  Month  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 April — 183,650,663 181,439,533 
			 May — 178,704,279 180,166,267 
			 June 184,184,323 181,831,394 180,073,281 
			 July 229,628,089 231,126,553 219,259,385 
			 August 190,244,934 183,848,704 187,483,048 
			 September 188,554,349 186,551,446 184,955,302 
			 October 186,835,067 188,370,270 185,059,758 
			 November 188,899,193 188,042,007 181,294,277 
			 December 186,083,845 188,042,007 177,426,758 
			 January 184,543,406 185,373,839 181,190,191 
			 February 184,543,406 185,576,914 183,882,559 
			 March 208,369,227 184,509,680 178,780,928 
			 
			 Total 1,931,885,839 2,265,627,756 2,221,011,287 
		
	
	 (b) Permanent non-civil service posts
	The Department employs 17 non-executive directors to provide an oversight to a number of business units including the Departmental Board. The total salaries paid for 2007-08 were £334,606.16.
	 (c) Payments to temporary or agency workers
	The total payments made to agencies to provide interim personnel in each year since May 2005 is as follows:
	2005-06 April to March is £52.99 million;
	2006-07 April to March is £61.98 million;
	2007-08 April to March is £37.02 million.
	The Department employ temporary staff "casuals" for short periods, they are recruited direct not by an agency.
	These figures have been estimated for 2007-08 as the actuals are not yet available.
	The monthly breakdown for temporary workers—non-agency staff—is as follows:
	
		
			  Month  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 April — 1,498,908 951,052 
			 May — 1,296,724 876,862 
			 June 1,623,087 1,572,925 927,159 
			 July 2,195,072 2,480,285 1,402,637 
			 August 2,620,664 3,137,604 1,798,865 
			 September 2,589,109 2,614,197 1,537,918 
			 October 2,734,967 2,093,475 1,399,916 
			 November 2,968,417 1,974,241 1,591,649 
			 December 3,171,526 2,099,779 1,609,386 
			 January 3,320,723 2,201,425 1,597,096 
			 February 3,201,721 3,217,885 1,895,901 
			 March 2,833,316 2,673,278 1,634,024 
			 
			 Total 27,258,602 26,860,726 17,222,465 
		
	
	The monthly breakdown for temporary workers—agency staff—is as follows:
	
		
			  Month  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 April — 288,429 2,030,908 
			 May — 6,175,451 3,494,735 
			 June 3,498,063 2,968,338 3,035,100 
			 July 6,295,453 1,975,004 3,681,014 
			 August 2,149,253 6,843,648 2,559,968 
			 September 2,628,591 3,769,897 3,507,816 
			 October 5,918,081 2,837,485 2,878,247 
			 November 2,839,595 3,564,802 3,753,694 
			 December 444,857 3,675,319 3,093,747 
			 January 2,633,343 8,618,533 3,327,606 
			 February 2,949,923 4,153,205 4,506,148 
			 March 13,258,606 (1,878,670) 3,960,853 
			 
			 Total 42,615,765 42,991,441 39,829,836 
		
	
	A monthly breakdown of information is not available for the period prior to April 2007 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The following special points should be noted.
	The total spend figures are the total paid to agencies for the supply of interim personnel (agency workers), this includes the fees paid directly to the interim personnel and also the fees paid to the agencies for their supply. The agency payments are normally based on a percentage mark-up and are variable depending on the agency and the category of personnel supplied. The average margin for all supply categories utilising the Department's primary supply vehicle the CIPHER framework agreement is 15 per cent.
	The total spend figures have been obtained from a number of sources including the Department's Financial and Resource Management systems and it should be noted that the figures are based on current account codes and category descriptors and may be include some miscellaneous non-interim personnel expenditure because of the difficulty in categorising. The figures for 2007-08 have only recently been extracted and are subject to further validation.

Housing Benefit

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the effect of the proposed reduction in backdating facilities for housing benefit on  (a) eviction levels and  (b) homelessness.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions works closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government on a wide range of issues, including the impact of housing benefit policy on people who are homeless or at risk of
	homelessness.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government are aware of the proposed reduction in backdating timescales for housing benefit and council tax benefit claims and have seen a copy of the impact assessment. Officials from both Departments are working together to mitigate any impacts by undertaking an awareness-raising campaign among landlords, local authorities, customers and welfare rights agencies. Work on this is well underway and it is clear that a high proportion of stakeholders are already aware of the planned changes.

Rented Housing: Cambridge

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether  (a) addresses and  (b) rental values were used by the Rent Service to determine the median rent for the Broad Market Rental Area in which Cambridge lies.

James Plaskitt: It is the responsibility of the rent officer to collect information on lettings achieved in the private rented sector for the Broad Rental Market Area.
	The information is gathered from a variety of sources and is as representative of the market as possible and to ensure that the lettings information is current the database is limited to the past 12 month period. The information held is sufficient to both confirm its validity and identify the size of the premises.

Social Security Benefits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people made a successful claim to receive  (a) housing benefit,  (b) council tax benefit and  (c) pension credit backdated for (i) three months, (ii) six months, (iii) nine months and (iv) 12 months in each the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: The information requested is as follows:
	 Housing  b enefit and  c ouncil  t ax  b enefit
	The information is not available in the format requested because of the restrictions of the breadth and reliability of the data available.
	As part of the Equality Impact Assessment covering changes to the time for claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit for pensioners and a change to the backdating period allowed within housing benefit and council tax benefit for working age customers, which is available on the DWP website, an estimate of the proportion of housing benefit and council tax benefit caseloads affected by the proposals is provided. There are, however, important caveats to these estimates which must be noted.
	Figures on the number of claims that are successfully backdated are derived from the single housing benefit extract (HBSD-IAD scan). The backdating variable in the single housing benefit extract was introduced relatively recently (April 2007) and accordingly we have no means of corroborating how robust the data is against historical data. Furthermore, given that the data only goes back six months, there is an insufficient pool of evidence to derive reliable figures from the data. These concerns should be allayed with time as the scan data improves.
	Based on the first six months of data available, it is estimated that approximately 0.2 per cent. of new housing benefit and council tax benefit claims would be affected. In absolute terms, this is approximately 3,000 housing benefit and 3,000 council tax benefit claims per year (in Great Britain). These figures may be subject to revision as more data become available and raw figures should be treated with caution given the nature of the data.
	 Pension Credit
	The information is not available in the format requested. Precise information on the time customers take to claim pension credit (known as backdating) is not routinely collected. The information in the following table estimates the possible maximum extent of backdating by examining the difference between the date of first payment and date at which entitlement begins. In some cases where payment starts after entitlement the delay will be due to processing times, evidence gathering and verification work which routinely accompanies claims for pension credit.
	
		
			  Estimates of the number of claims for pension credit by backdating period between 2003 and 2006 
			  Thousand 
			  Months of backdating  October 2003 to March 2004  April 2004 to March 2005  April 2005 to March 2006  April 2006 to March 2007 
			 0-3 months 2,220 190 170 170 
			 3-6 months 160 130 20 30 
			 6-9 months  160 10 10 
			 9-12 months  140 120 70 
			 Total on flows 2,380 610 310 280 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates of the number of claims by length of backdating period have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 cases 2. Care should be taken when interpreting the table. The Department does not routinely collect information on backdating periods and these have been estimated by comparing information on the date entitlement starts and the data pension credit is put into payment. Estimated backdating periods therefore include unknown periods of time that are due to processing, evidence gathering and verification work which routinely accompany every claim for pension credit. 3. Due to rounding the numbers of successful claims by period of backdating may not sum to the total number of successful claims. 4. There will be people flowing onto pension credit that will have zero backdating. These cases will be captured in the 0-3 month group.  Source: Experimental statistics of pension credit on flows.

Armed Forces: Deployment

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Air Force,  (c) Royal Navy and  (d) Royal Marines were in breach of the guidelines on individual separated service at the end of the 2007-08 financial year.

Bob Ainsworth: The current levels of Individual Harmony (Separated Service) including operations and all other military tasks, as at 22 April 2008 (Q4 2007-08), show that:
	Less than 1 per cent. of RN/RM personnel were in breach of the single service guidelines.
	10.3 per cent. of the Army were in breach of Separated Service guidelines. (This is a year on year improvement from 14.5 per cent. in 2005-06 and 13.4 per cent. in 2006-07.) The Army continues to monitor separated service with due diligence utilising directed recruitment and retention initiatives targeted at Pinch point Trades in particular.
	9.2 per cent. of RAF personnel breached the single service guideline. This is a decrease of 0.8 per cent. on the previous quarter. There has been an increase over the past year due to changes in the reporting procedures that have brought the RAF into line with the RN and Army rather than an increase in commitments.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been referred to  (a) a regional rehabilitation unit and  (b) Headley Court in each year since 2003.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows the total number of new patient referrals, for a course of treatment, of armed forces personnel to all 15 of MOD's Regional Rehabilitation Units (RRUs). Full figures are not available for 2003-04.
	
		
			  1 April to 31 March  Number of new patient referrals 
			 2004-05 4,320 
			 2005-06 6,122 
			 2006-07 7,168 
			 2007-08 7,312 
		
	
	It should be noted that patient referrals cover a wide range of injuries, only a minority of which have been sustained on current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
	For total patient referrals to Headley Court, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him and my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Alan Simpson) today.
	As well as having the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre as its core task, Headley Court has also hosted the Regional Rehabilitation Unit for London and overseas patients (if they are not treated by the one of the two RRUs located in Germany). Figures for referrals to the Headley Court RRU are included in the answer referred to previously, as well as in the table. These figures could be separated out only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Housing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much Annington Homes paid to the Government for land it sold to the east of Layer Road, Colchester, previously occupied by Ministry of Defence housing; and what percentage this represented of the value of the proceeds received by Annington Homes.

Derek Twigg: The 1996 Sale Agreement between Annington Homes Ltd. (AHL) and the Ministry of Defence related to the sale and value of properties rather than parcels of land. It has not proved possible to identify the specific site referred to or the number of properties it might have represented, and therefore we do not know what percentage the land represented.

Armed Forces: Manpower

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) target and  (b) actual (i) inflow, (ii) outflow and (iii) voluntary outflow rate of each pinch point trade was in the last 12 months.

Bob Ainsworth: The following tables provide information on current pinch point trades. As can be seen, not all of the information on current pinch point trades is available. This is largely evident in the Army figures as there is insufficient data held on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system. During the transition to JPA, which was introduced to the Army in April 2007, some data was lost. This data is currently being rebuilt although it may be some time before reliable information is available. Target figures are not available as they do not exist. Not all pinch point trades can be rectified by inflow as the pinch point may appear at more senior levels; this loss of experience cannot necessarily be grown through inflow. Some gaps can be filled by promotion pull but the challenge is to stem voluntary outflow.
	Data for previous years is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. All three Services employ retention measures targeted at specific trade groups. For example, in the RN financial retention incentives (FRIs) are used to retain GR7 Instructors (£100,000 for pilot), MERLIN Aircrew and Lieutenant X Sub-Mariner Advanced Warfare Qualified (£25,000 with a Return of Service of four years). Other incentives include more flexible use of Full Term Commissions and the introduction of a Professional Aviator Pay Spine for air crewmen.
	Similarly, in the Army, FRIs are used as incentives for Infantry at identified key decision points and there is considerable focus on improving wastage during training. To retain Royal Engineer Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel the Army has introduced specialist pay and extended the course to increase first-time pass rate. REME Recovery Mechanic is another trade where the removal of Class 1 time bars, development of an apprenticeship scheme and the instigation of early eligibility for promotion to LCpl has helped to aid retention.
	The RAF have FRIs for a number of trades (fire fighter, nurse and gunner); introduced more flexible manning policies (such as re-engagement to 22 years for selected Base Rank personnel) and opened up Continuance as a way of retaining experience.
	
		
			  Royal Navy 
			  Pinch point trade  Strength  Shortfall (Percentage)  Inflow  Outflow  Voluntary outflow (Percentage) 
			 Lt X SM Advanced Warfare Course Qualified 75 8 9 12 4.00 
			 RN Harrier GR7 Instructors 7 57 n/a n/a 0 
			 Lt GR7 Harrier Pilots 35 51 n/a n/a 4.50 
			 Merlin Pilots 112 39 4 2 2.50 
			 Merlin Observers 116 46 3 1 1.50 
			 Merlin Aircrewmen 102 22 4 0 n/a 
			 Leading Hand Warfare 1,108 41 189 52 8.30 
			 Strategic Weapons Systems Junior Ranks 110 20 28 14 11.00 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Sensors Submariner) 173 23 26 18 14.00 
			 Able Bodied Warfare Specialist (Tactical Submariner) 121 21 23 10 11.00 
			 Able Bodied Diver 136 30 22 8 13.00 
			 Able Rate 1 Seaman 351 15 32 34 19.00 
			 Able Rate 1 Warfare Specialist 754 24 277 98 14.80 
			 Able Rate 1 Communications and Information Systems 375 13 137 50 14.70 
			 Leading Aircraft Controllers 75 44 7 6 6.50 
			 Royal Marines Other Ranks 5,976 9 557 494 5.80 
			 Sea-King and Lynx Avionics Supervisors 348 18 n/a n/a 5.60 
			 Cat A Nuclear Watchkeepers 217 24 27 8 5.00 
			 Petty Officer Mine Warfare 56 27 10 1 2.40 
			 Cat B Nuclear Watchkeepers 417 18 34 25 8.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Army 
			  Pinch point trade  Strength  Shortfall (Percentage)  Inflow  Outflow  Voluntary Outflow (Percentage) 
			 Infantryman Pte-LCpl 13,740 8.5 — — — 
			 REME VM Pte-Cpl 3,140 14.6 — — 5.8% 
			 REME Armourer Pte-Cpl 321 16.8 — — 5.1% 
			 REME Rec Mech LCpl-Cpl 214 36.5 — — 5.7% 
			 Int OPMI Cpl-Sgt 498 26.0 — — 5.0 
			 RE Clk of Wks SSgt-WOl 276 15.1 — — 1.8 
			 RE ME Fitter Spr-LCpl 407 20.0 — — 8.2 
			 RA Gunner LBdr-Bdr 3,370 11.3 — — — 
			 AMS ITU Nurse Cpl-Capt 30 23.1 — — — 
			 AMS EM Nurse Cpl-Capt 37 30.2 — — — 
			 AMS Radiologist Maj+ 1 75.0 — — — 
			 AMS Orth Surg Maj+ 7 46.2 — — — 
			 AMS Gen Surg Maj+ 10 41.2 — — — 
			 AMS Anaesthetist Maj+ 20 59.2 — — — 
			 AMS Gen Med Prac Capt+ 137 10.5 — — 5.8 
			 AMS Radiographer Cpl+ 12 57.1 — — 10.4 
			 AMS RGN 263 26.9 — — 8.5 
			 AMS ODP Cpl+ 75 21.9 — — 3.6 
			 RA UAV Op (Level 4) LBdr-Bdr 57 47.7 — — 10.9 
			 RE ME Geo Spr-WO2 270 26.2 — — 5.8 
			 RE EOD Cpl-SSgt 500 28.7 — — 3.8 
			 RE ME C3S Spr-LCpl 740 22.8 — — 9.5 
			 RLC Ammo Tech Cpl-SSgt 314 15.4 — — 4.2 
			 RLC P&C Op Pte-Cpl 547 8.5 — — 5.9 
			 RLCChef Pte-LCpl 2,461 5.4 — — 2.5 
			 RSigs IS Engr Cpl-Sgt 400 -0.8 — — 3.7 
			 AGC(SPS) Mil Admin Pte-Sgt 3,557 10.4 — — — 
			 CAMUS Musician 253 16.2 — — — 
			 REME Aircraft Tech LCpl-Sgt 545 -7.9 — — — 
			 REME Avionics Tech LCpl-Sgt 289 4.3 — — — 
		
	
	
		
			  Royal Air Force 
			  Pinch point trade  Strength  Shortfall (Percentage)  Inflow  Outflow  Voluntary outflow (Percentage) 
			  Officers  
			 Medical 220 20.90 15 20 2.00 
			 Operations Support (Intelligence) 230 1.30 6 11 1.30 
			 Operations Support (Regiment) 240 10.10 6 19 2.40 
			 Operations Support (Provost / Security) 140 1.40 17 35 3.70 
			 Operations Support (Flight Operations) 190 11.60 18 24 2.50 
			 Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service 130 27.80 11 1 2.00 
			 Administration (Training) 200 13.40 10 24 5.60 
			 Chaplains 60 24.10 1 11 2.00 
			 Medical Support 80 12.10 8 1 2.00 
			 Operations Support (Fighter Control) 300 13.30 21 22 1.70 
			   
			  Other ranks trades  
			 Weapons System Operator (Air Load Master) 450 18.20 26 47 1.70 
			 Weapons System Operator (Linguist) 50 25.40 3 7 3.80 
			 Air Traffic Controller (ATC) / Flight Operations Manager (FOM) / Flight Operations Assistant (FOA) (1)1,200 (2)6 (3)81 (4)124 ATC -3.30 
			  (1)— (2)— (3)— (4)— FOM/FOA (5.9) 
			 Fire Fighter 480 13.20 48 108 14.90 
			 Gunner 1,630 10.40 144 225 7.50 
			 Movements Operator / Controller 860 2.20 34 73 3.90 
			 RAF Police 1,350 -5.60 84 172 4.40 
			 Staff Nurse (Registered General Nurse) 280 7 48 53 7.10 
			 Intelligence Analyst (Communications) 240 16.10 19 45 7.60 
			 Environmental Health Technician 40 16.70 7 9 2.40 
			 Radiographer 10 9.10 0 1 9.10 
			 Mess Manager / Steward 460 7.60 20 42 3.80 
			 Musician 150 14.30 15 21 1.90 
			 RAF Physical Training Instructor 490 5.20 33 21 3.60

Armed Forces: Separation

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the separation rate was for married personnel in each service in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) officers,  (b) other ranks and  (c) all ranks.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following table shows annual divorce rates(1) for Army and RAF UK Regular Forces(2) personnel for each calendar year since 1997 up until the most recent data available, by officers and ranks. Naval service data are not available as the naval service groups 'separated', 'divorced' and 'widowed' together.
	(1 )Rates are calculated as a percentage of the average married strength during the calendar years. The term 'divorce' includes 'decree absolute' and 'marriage annulled'. It excludes 'decree nisi' and individuals who are separated.
	(2 )UK regular forces includes nursing services and excludes full-time reserve service personnel, Ghurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. It includes trained and untrained personnel.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006( 1, 2) 
			  Army( 2)   
			 All (4)— (4)— 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.1 1.9 
			 Officers (4)— (4)— 0.9 1.1 0.9 1.4 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 
			 Ranks (4)— (4)— 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.4 2.1 
			
			  RAF   
			 All (4)— 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.9 (4)— 
			 Officers (4)— 1.0 0.9 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.5 (4)— 
			 Ranks (4)— 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.8 2.0 1.8 (4)— 
			 (1 )Figures for 2006 are for the most recently available 12 months which cover the period up to 1 December 2006. (2 )Following the phased introduction of a new personnel administration system, marital status data are no longer available. This table shows the most recently available data. (3 )For the years 1999, 2000 and 2001, annulments are excluded from the calculations for divorce rates, as the information was not available, however the remaining years do include annulments in their calculation. (4 )Denotes data is unavailable.  Note: Percentages are calculated from unrounded figures and are shown to one decimal place.

Armed Forces: Staff Turnover

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) inflow and  (b) outflow was of staff in each regional rehabilitation unit in each year since 2005.

Derek Twigg: The Inflow and Outflow of staff for the MOD's 15 RRUs is provided in the following table. The figures include staff deploying on, and returning back from, operational deployments.
	
		
			  RRU 
			   Inflow  Outflow 
			  Colchester   
			 2005 22 16 
			 2006 9 9 
			 2007 10 7 
			
			  Aldershot   
			 2005(1) n/k n/k 
			 2006 10 1 
			 2007 3 — 
			
			  Edinburgh   
			 2005 2 — 
			 2006 5 2 
			 2007 2 4 
			
			  Aldergrove   
			 2005 3 2 
			 2006 3 5 
			 2007 7 6 
			
			  Catterick   
			 2005 9 0 
			 2006 3 4 
			 2007 7 8 
			
			  Bulford   
			 2005 4 2 
			 2006 3 3 
			 2007 4 3 
			
			  Cranwell   
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 0 0 
			 2007 1 0 
			
			  Honington   
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 1 1 
			 2007 1 0 
			
			  Halton   
			 2005 1 1 
			 2006 2 2 
			 2007 2 1 
			
			  Portsmouth   
			 2005 1 1 
			 2006 4 3 
			 2007 1 1 
			
			  Plymouth   
			 2005 0 0 
			 2006 4 6 
			 2007 4 5 
			
			  Headley Court   
			 2005 1 0 
			 2006 0 0 
			 2007 1 1 
			
			  Gutersloh   
			 2005 4 2 
			 2006 5 5 
			 2007 2 2 
			
			  Hohne   
			 2005 4 0 
			 2006 5 1 
			 2007 1 1 
			 (1) Figures are not known as the RRU was run by Sodexho Ltd. 
		
	
	The RRU facility at Lichfield currently consists of a Multi-Disciplinary Injury Assessment Clinic, staffed by members of the unit Medical Centre. Separate inflow/outflow figures for the rehabilitation element are therefore not available.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 7 May 2008,  Official Report, column 834W, on armed forces: uniforms, how much has been paid to Cooneen Watts and Stone Ltd. for the production of the Combat Soldier 95 uniform since 2004.

Bob Ainsworth: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Cooneen Watts and Stone Ltd supply a large number of items to the MOD. Details of those items which form part of Combat Soldier 95 uniform are not recorded separately.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will re-evaluate the Future Rapid Effect System project with particular reference to  (a) the delivery schedule,  (b) cost projections,  (c) vehicle reliability,  (d) the successful completion of all tests,  (e) excessive weight,  (f) excessive noise,  (g) limited visibility and  (h) reliability of the weapons system; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Piranha V was announced as the provisional preferred design for the future rapid effect system (FRES) utility vehicle on 8 May 2008,  Official Report, columns 39-40WS. This announcement followed completion of the MOD's assessment of the evidence gathered during the utility vehicle trials and the further work to fully understand the commercial implications of the three competing designs. It is because of our early recognition and understanding of many of the issues raised that we have decided to embark on a focused phase of risk reduction early in the FRES UV development to give the programme the very best chance of success.
	The selection decision was made by following the guiding principles of a competitive assessment to select a design that best met the Army's requirement for a combination of value for money through life, timely delivery, high performance and growth potential. In common with all defence procurement programmes, we will re-evaluate the performance, time and cost parameters of the FRES programme right up to the point at which we take the main investment decision.

Departmental Internet

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on the most recent redesign and implementation of his Departmental website.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence and armed forces collectively maintain four corporate websites. Redesign and implementation costs on these were as follows:
	
		
			  Website  URL  Cost (£)  Year  Note 
			 Ministry of Defence http://www.mod.uk/ 400,000 2005-06 Further enhancements to the site were made between June 2007 and April 2008 at a cost of £150,000 
			 Royal Navy http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/ 270,000 2006 The Royal Navy corporate website was re launched on 6 February 2006. An additional refresh was carried out in 2007 of the front page, RN live & Global operation at a cost of £110,000. 
			 British Army http://www.army.mod.uk 266,500 2006-07 This is the first major redesign of the Army website since 1998. Launch is expected within the next few weeks. 
			 Royal Air Force http ://www.raf.mod.uk/ 119,579 2006-07 The redesign project was conducted through the Central Office of Information

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2008,  Official Report, column 518W, on Iraq: peacekeeping operations, whether the members of the former Serious Crimes Unit of the Basra Police were ever in the custody of UK forces; and what information he has regarding their current location.

Des Browne: Some members of the Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) have been held in the custody of UK forces in Iraq, although we have no reason to believe that these included any of the individuals against whom arrest warrants have been issued. Those SCU members previously held by UK forces have now been released, as our in-theatre review process concluded that their internment was no longer deemed necessary for imperative reasons of security.
	I am withholding information relating to the current location of former members of the SCU as disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

Military Decorations

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to introduce a Regular Forces Service Medal to recognise long service in the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: There are no plans to introduce a Regular Forces service medal to recognise long service in the armed forces, though such matters are kept under review. This subject was reviewed in the 1990s as part of the Joint Service Review of Honours and Awards, which concluded that
	"The proposal that the existing Long Service and Good Conduct (LS&GC) medals should be replaced by an award open to all ranks of all three services was rejected [by the military Chiefs of Staff] in favour of 'no change'."
	Long service and good conduct is already recognised for non-commissioned members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. Each of the three services of the armed forces has its own version of the LS&GC with differing regulations, though the standard of conduct is common to each service.

Navy: Medals

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will change the qualification criteria for a General Service Medal with Suez canal zone clasp so that navy personnel qualify for a medal after 30 days aggregated service.

Derek Twigg: There are no plans to seek to change the qualifying criteria for the 'Canal Zone' clasp to the Naval General Service Medal 1915-62.

European Union Global Climate Change Alliance

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support the Government plans to give to the European Union Global Climate Change Alliance.

Gareth Thomas: We welcome the European Commission's Global Climate Change Alliance, which aims to help poor developing countries most vulnerable to climate change to increase their capabilities to adapt to the effects of climate change and to have their voice better heard in the international climate change negotiations. We believe that the GCCA's proposal to pilot a programmatic approach to integrating climate resilience into development planning will help to provide valuable lessons for future adaptation responses. It is essential that this is well co-ordinated with other adaptation financing initiatives and is delivered in line with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. We look forward to reviewing the EC's working paper on the GCCA and will consider support once this has been presented to member states.

Iraq: Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government has taken on the development of education in Iraq since 2003.

Douglas Alexander: Since 2003, the Department for International Development (DFID) has not provided any direct financial assistance to develop the education sector in Iraq. However, we have contributed £70 million to the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq (IRFFI), which encompasses two trust funds administered by the United Nations and World Bank. 25 donors have committed over $1.8 billion to IRFFI since 2003. This money has been used to provide assistance to a range of sectors and development projects across Iraq, including projects to rehabilitate schools, provide essential text books and train Iraqi teachers.
	DFID's wider priority is to support the Iraqi Government to spend its considerable oil wealth more effectively—to provide sustained improvements to the lives of the Iraqi people. We are therefore working with both central and local government institutions to help them to manage and disburse their finances—which will give the Iraqi Government the ability to provide better public services and to take a lead in developing their own education system.

Iraq: Health Services

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government has taken to assist the Iraqi government in developing health care services since 2003.

Douglas Alexander: Since 2003, the UK has contributed a total of £70 million to the United Nations and World Bank Trust Funds for Iraq, which together are spending over $180 million to repair hospitals, train health care staff and improve nutrition. The UK has also contributed £5 million to the World Health Organisation, which has helped fund emergency medical supplies, supported clinics and hospitals in Baghdad and Basra, and supports the Government of Iraq's Health Sector Working Group.
	The UK has contributed £49 million to international agencies to support protection and emergency assistance activities in Iraq. This has included the provision of urgently needed medical supplies and improving health facilities, including physical rehabilitation and training for staff.
	Since 2003, the UK's financial assistance has helped contribute to the rehabilitation or equipping of over 1,000 health care facilities and the training of over 6,000 staff.
	In addition to DFID's financial assistance, the UK Department of Health is providing £5 million to fund the Iraqi Clinical Training Project—designed to update the skills of around 400 clinicians and managers in the Iraqi health service by providing eight week training attachments in the UK. Initial feedback from the Iraqi Ministry of Health Inspectorate General is strongly positive in terms of the actions and impact that the returning clinicians have begun to make.
	DFID's wider priority is to support the Iraqi Government to spend its considerable oil wealth more effectively—to provide sustained improvements to the lives of the Iraqi people. We are therefore assisting both central and local government institutions to manage and disburse their finances—which will then allow the Iraqi Government to take a lead in improving their own health care services.

Iraq: Reconstruction

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Government has allocated to Iraq for reconstruction purposes since 2003.

Douglas Alexander: Since 2003, the UK Government has pledged £744 million for reconstruction and development for Iraq. So far, over £720 million of this has been disbursed, of which £532 million has been spent by the Department for International Development (DFID) (including EC contributions).

Bail Accommodation and Support Service

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many bail accommodation centres there are in each Parliamentary constituency in England.

David Hanson: The Bail Accommodation and Support Service provided by ClearSprings provides rented housing for users, with a maximum of five sharing. At 2 May there were 157 houses available in England and Wales. The requirement is kept under review. The following table shows in which constituencies these were located:
	
		
			  Constituency  Number of houses 
			 Bath 1 
			 Batley and Spen 1 
			 Birmingham, Ladywood 4 
			 Birmingham, Perry Barr 3 
			 Blyth Valley 1 
			 Bolton, North East 1 
			 Bolton, West 1 
			 Bootle 1 
			 Bristol, East 2 
			 Broxbourne 1 
			 Burnley 1 
			 Bury, North 2 
			 Bury, South 1 
			 Chatham and Aylesford 1 
			 Corby 1 
			 Coventry, North West 1 
			 Croydon, Central 2 
			 Croydon, North 3 
			 Dagenham 2 
			 Derby, South 3 
			 Doncaster, North 1 
			 Dudley, North 2 
			 Dudley, South 1 
			 Durham, City of 2 
			 East Ham 2 
			 Edmonton 5 
			 Finchley and Golders Green 1 
			 Gloucester 1 
			 Great Grimsby 1 
			 Hackney, South and Shoreditch 1 
			 Hemsworth 1 
			 Heywood and Middleton 1 
			 Hornchurch 1 
			 Hornsey and Wood Green 1 
			 Huddersfield 1 
			 Ilford, South 1 
			 Ipswich 1 
			 Jarrow 1 
			 Kingston upon Hull, North 1 
			 Kingswood 1 
			 Leeds, East 1 
			 Leeds, North East 1 
			 Leicester, South 1 
			 Leicester, West 4 
			 Leigh 1 
			 Lewisham, East 1 
			 Lewisham, West 1 
			 Lincoln 1 
			 Liverpool, Wavertree 2 
			 Liverpool, West Derby 1 
			 Luton, North 2 
			 Luton, South 1 
			 Makerfield 1 
			 Manchester, Gorton 2 
			 Middlesbrough 2 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne, Central 1 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 2 
			 North East Derbyshire 1 
			 North West Cambridgeshire 2 
			 Northampton, North 4 
			 Northampton, South 1 
			 Norwich, North 1 
			 Norwich, South 3 
			 Nottingham, East 3 
			 Nottingham, North 1 
			 Oldham, East and Saddleworth 1 
			 Oxford, East 2 
			 Pendle 1 
			 Peterborough 2 
			 Plymouth, Sutton 2 
			 Portsmouth, North 1 
			 Portsmouth, South 2 
			 Preston 2 
			 Reading, East 3 
			 Rotherham 2 
			 Scunthorpe 1 
			 South Swindon 1 
			 Southampton, Itchen 2 
			 St. Helens, South 1 
			 Stockton, South 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent, Central 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent, North 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent, South 1 
			 Streatham 2 
			 Sunderland, North 1 
			 Sunderland, South 1 
			 Tyne Bridge 2 
			 Walsall, North 2 
			 Walthamstow 1 
			 Wansbeck 1 
			 Warley 4 
			 Warrington South 1 
			 West Bromwich West 1 
			 West Lancashire 1 
			 Weston-Super-Mare 1 
			 Wolverhampton South West 1 
			 Wrekin, The 1

Ipsos MORI

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what payments his Department has made to Ipsos MORI since its establishment; and for what purposes.

Bridget Prentice: The following table shows departmental contracts with Ipsos MORI, with payment information and purpose, undertaken since 9 May 2007.
	
		
			  Payments made by MOJ to Ipsos MORI since 9 May  2007 
			Payments made (in total from 9 May 2007 to date) 
			  Name of project  Purpose of project  Incl. VAT (£)  Excl. VAT (£) 
			 HMCS Court User Survey To elicit levels of court user satisfaction with standards or customer service and other key service issues across the High Court, the Crown, county and magistrates courts and associated offices. (1)— (1)— 
			 
			 Witness and Victim Experience Survey To gather consistent and comparable local and national data on victim and witness satisfaction with Criminal Justice System agencies in cases that resulted in a prosecution. (1)— (1)— 
			 
			 Boosting public confidence in the CJS; inform, persuade Study to test out the impact of a targeted communication activity upon improving public confidence 19,740 16,800 
			 
			 Nottingham Community Justice public opinion poll Consultation to gauge public opinion of the criminal justice system in St. Ann's and Aspley via two telephone survey waves 37,600 32,000 
			 Survey on Tackling and Preventing Sexual Harassment To provide detailed picture of the incidence and nature of sexual harassment amongst prison staff and to assist the Prison Service to deliver on its commitment to tackle inappropriate behaviour. 38,431 32,708 
			 
			 Tribunal Service Customer Expectation Survey Survey originally in its third year of a contractual obligation with the former Appeals Service, it was adapted to cover a different purpose in testing customer perception and expectation across a number of jurisdictions. 43,475 37,000 
			 
			 Constitution Directorate tracker survey Periodic "tracker" survey to monitor public knowledge and opinion on a range of issues related to constitution, democracy and rights 59,355 50,515 
			 
			 Customer Satisfaction questionnaire To develop a questionnaire to survey complainants regarding customer satisfaction. 2,703 2,300 
			 
			 Stocktake of attitudinal data To inform the development the Criminal Justice System Strategic Plan 2008-11 through review of research and other published evidence on public attitudes to the Criminal Justice System. 5,552 4,725 
			 
			 Beacon Approach Evaluation To evaluate OCJR's new approach to working with Local Criminal Justice Boards 63,897 54,380 
			 
			 General Public Awareness of the Mental Capacity Act (Capibus survey) Determine baseline data on awareness of the Mental Capacity Act amongst the general public prior to implementation 26,179 22,280 
			 
			 Legal Professionals Awareness of the Mental Capacity Act (online survey) Determine baseline data on awareness of the Mental Capacity Act among legal professionals prior to implementation 9,165 7,800 
			 
			 Health and Social Care Professionals Awareness of the Mental Capacity Act (paper survey) Determine baseline data on awareness of the Mental Capacity Act among health and social care professionals prior to implementation 28,468 24,278 
			 
			 Office of Public Guardian and Court of Protection Customer Survey To provide quantitative baseline data on Office of Public Guardian and Court services as perceived by users. The results for the initial baseline survey will establish where improvements can/need to be made and will lay foundations to make improvements to the Office of Public Guardian and Court services, in addition to setting an appropriate Key Performance Indicator target for customer satisfaction. 30,528 25,981 
			 
			 Young Witness Workshop (YWW) Assistance in facilitating YWW 1,052 895 
			 
			 Statement of Purpose and DSO research Testing of language and understanding of Departmental Strategic Objectives 36,660 31,200 
			 
			 Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction To identify prisoners' needs and problems upon reception, the training and programmes they receive while in prison, and outcomes upon release. 401,217 341,462 
			 
			 Secondary Analysis of 2005 Citizenship Survey Development work with MOJ analysts and policy officials to identify need and scope for additional secondary data analysis of 2005 Citizenship Survey dataset possible research project 470 400 
			 (1) Costing information is not supplied as this is commercial in confidence. This survey is subject to periodic re-tendering and release of the costings would weaken the Department's negotiating position.

Life Imprisonment: Prisoners Release

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 485W, on life imprisonment: prisoners release, and with reference to the answer of 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1035W, on life sentences, for what reasons it was not possible to provide the information requested.

David Hanson: To provide the information requested would require data matching between different sources of information, and manual checking of individual records which could be carried out only at disproportionate cost. Data migration for the Department's new database is currently underway and will be subject to data quality assurance. I will write to the hon. Member within the next few weeks, to provide the information that will be available from it, where relevant.

Prisons: Islam

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what institutional arrangements are in place for the aftercare of Muslim prisoners.

Jack Straw: All prisoners who serve 12 months or more are subject to a period of statutory supervision on release. Those sentenced to any period in custody who are under 21 years at the point of release will also be supervised by the National Offender management Service (NOMS) on a standard three month licence.
	Prisoners on licence are seen by NOMS who assess and manage their risk and needs, such as accommodation, relationships, lifestyle, etc. The religious needs of prisoners are considered and treated with respect. Supervision is conducted in a way that is consistent with and responsive to the religious affiliation of the offender, and appointments are arranged at times that do not prevent attendance at religious events.

Anti-Social Behaviour Orders: North West

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were breached in each parliamentary constituency in the north-west in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) became available in April 1999. Information on the number of ASBOs breached is not collected centrally at parliamentary constituency level and not compiled below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.
	Currently, ASBO breach data are available for ASBOs breached between 1 June 2000 and 31 December 2006.
	The number of ASBOs breached in each year in each CJS area within the north-west region is shown in the following table. Please note that the table takes the data from that shown in Table 7 as published on the Crime Reduction website.
	
		
			  ASBOs issued in the north-west region proven in court to have been breached for the first time within the periods shown( 1)  by CJS area( 2)  from 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2006 
			  Region  2000-2002( 3)  2003  2004  2005  2006  Total 
			 North-west 57 184 367 514 391 1,513 
			 of which:   
			 Cumbria 2 15 23 24 30 94 
			 Greater Manchester 28 117 219 308 203 875 
			 Lancashire 15 28 52 80 78 253 
			 Merseyside 6 16 39 65 51 177 
			 Cheshire 6 8 34 37 29 114 
			 (1) ASBOs may be breached more than once and in more than one year. In this table ASBOs are counted once only within the period when they were first breached. (2) ASBOs may be issued in one area and breached in another. Breaches are counted in this table by area of ISSUE. (3) From 1 June 2000.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: OCJR court proceedings database

Gaming Machines: Licensing

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many applications for amusement machine licences were received in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05,  (c) 2005-06 and  (d) 2006-07, broken down by category of machine;
	(2)  how many applications for amusement machine licences were received in each month between April 2007 and March 2008, broken down by category of machine;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of applications for amusement machine licences in  (a) 2008-09,  (b) 2009-10 and  (c) 2010-11, broken down by category of machine.

Angela Eagle: Premises licences can authorise machines in more than one category. It is not possible to break down the number of licences by category of machine.
	HMRC do not maintain historical records or produce forecasts of numbers of applications received. The numbers of licences issued for the historic periods in question are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2003-04 136,462 
			 2004-05 27,938 
			 2005-06 123,702 
			 2006-07 140,278 
		
	
	
		
			   Number 
			 April 2007 8,165 
			 May 2007 8,508 
			 June 2007 8,911 
			 July 2007 10,000 
			 August 2007 29,370 
			 September 2007 9,901 
			 October 2007 9,648 
			 November 2007 16,757 
			 December 2007 7,144 
			 January 2008 8,002 
			 February 2008 11,405 
			 March 2008 10,198

Public Expenditure

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to tables 1.7 and 1.10 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2008, HC 489, if he will provide a breakdown of the equivalent figures for 2001-02 on the same basis.

Yvette Cooper: Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA) 2007, CM7091, provides data for 2001-02. However data for 2001-02 has since been archived, and due to Machinery of Government and Classification changes, data for 2001-02 is not available on the same basis as the data provided in PESA 2008.

Beekeeping: Research

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research projects on beekeeping have been funded by his Department in the last five years; what bids for funding for such research projects his Department has not accepted during that period; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following projects have been funded by DEFRA in the last five years.
	
		
			  Project  From  To  Cost (£) 
			 HH0817THB: The control of exotic bee diseases and their likely interactions with UK conditions 2001 2004 330,000 
			 HH0819SHB: Fungal control of Varroa jacobsoni (destructor) 2002 2006 383,802 
			 HH3126SHB: Evaluation of TaqMan real-time PCR for detection of Aethina tumida (Small Hive Beetle) 2005 2005 14,348 
			 HH3223SHB: Minimisation of oxytetracycline levels in honey after antibiotic treatment 2003 2004 25,000 
			 HH3234SHB: Optimisation of detection methods for Melissococcus plutonius (European foulbrood, EFB) 2005 2005 10,101 
			 HH3235SHB: Honey bee virus detection and discrimination 2005 2005 25,233 
			 HH3815SHB: A promotional publication summarising the DEFRA Bee Health Research and Development activity over 10 years 2004 2005 9,920 
			 PH0410: The taxonomy of UK and exotic honey bee viruses: a molecular approach (PhD Fellowship) 2007 2010 81,248 
			 PH0502: Assessing the effectiveness of the shook swarm method for controlling European Foul Brood 2006 2008 185,393 
			 PH0503: Development of a monitoring system for the small hive beetle, Aethina tumida (Murray) 2006 2008 225,772 
			 PN0936: The effects of endocrine disrupters on honeybee populations 2001 2004 86,148 
			 PN0945: Assessing the impact of mixtures of pyrethroids and fungicides on honeybees 2001 2004 55,718 
			 PS2322: Assessment of the risk posed to honeybees by systemic pesticides 2005 2007 46,104 
			 VM02140: Investigation of the fate of veterinary drugs used in apiculture 2004 2007 180,589 
			 VM02156: Investigation into the experimental protocols required to determine Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) in honey: Preliminary study using organic acids as model compounds to propose ways in which withdrawal times might be calculated 2007 2010 287,083 
		
	
	We do not have full records of bids that were not funded in the last five years. With respect to the last two years, there was a bid for a three-year project to develop management strategies for small hive beetle which was not funded although a shorter project to develop a monitoring system for small hive beetle is ongoing. There was also an outline proposal but no formal bid for a project to build upon previous DEFRA funded work to develop a biological control product for the varroa mite. This project is still being discussed; a decision has yet to be made about whether this work will be funded.

Food: Waste Disposal

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support is being provided by his Department to promote food waste collection for the commercial sector.

Joan Ruddock: The Government aim to reduce the amount of food waste created by businesses and consumers; and to encourage better management through environmentally friendly treatment of waste where prevention is not possible.
	The Government funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has a target to divert 100,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill by March 2008. Retailers agreed in the Courtauld Commitment One Year On event, in November 2006, to work with WRAP to help deliver this target. In recent months they have been joined by many significant food manufacturers. This work will provide the evidence base as to how post-consumer food waste can be diverted and the Government will be expecting retailers and manufacturers to help tackle the climate change impacts of food waste.
	Food waste collections from commercial businesses were promoted by WRAP's Recycle at Work programme from 2006-08. WRAP commissioned four commercial food waste trials during this time; they ran from October 2006 to June 2007. WRAP commissioned independent evaluation of the trials between October 2007 and March 2008. The Executive Summary of the evaluation will be made available on the WRAP website shortly. WRAP's Good Practice Guidance on providing recycling services to businesses is also available from the WRAP website, providing guidance on setting up and marketing recycling services to Small or Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
	WRAP advises local authorities on waste collection arrangements. Where appropriate, it advises them to consider opportunities for the co-collection of food waste from commercial premises with food waste from domestic properties, to help with the economics of household food waste collections.
	DEFRA is working closely with the food industry to improve its environmental impact through the Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (FISS). The FISS targets a reduction in the food industry's own wastes of 15 to20 per cent. by 2010.

Postgraduate Students: Support

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what assessment he has made of the adequacy of support available to postgraduate students who attended schools in areas of deprivation.

Bill Rammell: We have not made any specific assessment. However, research shows that people from disadvantaged areas who achieve first degrees are no less likely to stay on for postgraduate study.
	The Government's student support are generally targeted at undergraduates, to widen access and provide the opportunity to study for a first degree. Students of the Post Graduate Certificate in Education are though eligible for means-tested support.
	The research councils offer postgraduate awards; and career development loans are also available.

Departmental Internet

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the budget for his Department's new departmental website.

David Miliband: The recent upgrade of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) corporate website is part of a wider project to deliver a new web platform and improved web presence for the FCO over five years.
	The work will provide a single technical platform for all the FCO websites (including the main FCO website, Arabic and Urdu versions of the FCO website, UKvisas website, the FCO Freedom of Information website, and 229 embassy, high commission and special mission sites in multiple languages) as well as new designs, content, functionality and a new hub and spoke model for delivering business support.
	The project will complete in September 2008, by which time all of the FCO posts websites will have joined the new platform and will operate under the central domain, fco.gov.uk
	The initial cost of £9.7 million for the web platform was set out in the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Meg Munn) on 30 January 2008,  Official Report, column 398W. The project is on target to cost £19.2 million over five years. This includes running costs, for example hosting and support, and some staff salaries. The cost of the project to date is £9.2 million which breaks down as follows:
	consultancy (procurement, legal and business change advice): £1.631 million;
	project management and support: £1.065 million;
	software, development and implementation (including design and roll-out): £6.115 million; and
	other (including training costs): £0.389 million.
	The web is vital for the delivery of the FCO's departmental strategic objectives. More people, in the UK and overseas, have contact with the FCO through the web than through any other channel. The FCO is committed to using the web to deliver its policy goals as well as key services such as travel advice and visa information.
	The project has followed the Office of Government Commerce Gateway Review process and is delivering on time and to budget.

Departmental Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2008,  Official Report, column 2022W, on departmental manpower, how many of the employees under 18 years of age are receiving at least one day's training per week.

Meg Munn: Two of these employees are on three year engineering apprenticeships and have been receiving the equivalent of one day's training per week. The three year apprenticeship is considered to be all training, whether on-the-job working in various sections or at college. The third employee is on a fixed term contract and not on an apprentice scheme.

Iraq: Administration of Justice

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to seek to extend extra-territorial jurisdiction to allow the British prosecuting authorities to prosecute alleged offences by contractors working for HM Government in Iraq.

Meg Munn: holding answer 14 May 2008
	Future policy options are under review. We believe that our current working relationships, and contracts with our contractors in Iraq, ensure that any cases of alleged crime or misconduct would be brought to our attention promptly, so that we could investigate. Where such misconduct is substantiated our procurement guidelines specify that we can terminate the contract. We expect the highest professional standards of those holding Government contracts.
	On the broader issue of the regulation of the overseas operations of private military and security companies, registered in or operating from the UK, my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary (Jack Straw), requested a review by officials of the options. The review was completed in 2005 and considered ways forward including self-regulation, national regulation—based on export controls—and/or company licensing systems. We have also considered international regulation on the basis of common international values and norms. However, the review and subsequent analysis, has also highlighted difficulties with regard to implementation or enforcement, with respect to each of the options. We have also considered the complex legal matter of extra-territorial jurisdiction. These issues have since been the subject of extensive Ministerial correspondence and official consultation. If it is decided that regulation is appropriate, the Government will put the proposals to public consultation.

Maldives: Elections

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of the Maldives on charges against members of opposition parties in advance of expected elections in 2008.

Meg Munn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East (Dr. Howells) gave to the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Mr. Spring) on 27 February,  Official Report, column 1705W.
	Free, fair and credible elections are a crucial element of democratic reform in the Maldives. My noble Friend the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, the Right hon. Lord Malloch-Brown, emphasised this point to Dr. Mohamad Asim, the Maldivian high commissioner in March. He also pointed out that the freedom of politicians and political parties to campaign and debate freely was a cornerstone of democracy.

Western Sahara: Politics and Government

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the status is of negotiations in Manhasset on the future of the Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1753, of 30 April 2007, called upon the parties to enter into negotiations under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General without preconditions and in good faith. The UN Secretary-General's Personal Envoy, Peter van Walsum, has brought the parties together for four rounds of negotiations, held in June and August 2007 and January and March 2008. The UK folly supports these negotiations, with a view to achieving a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We have encouraged the parties to maintain their commitment to the negotiation process. UNSCR 1813 called on parties to continue these negotiations in a spirit of realism and compromise, and we hope a fifth round will be held soon.

Business: Education

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 6 June 2007 to the hon. Member for Banbury,  Official Report, columns 625-26W, on business: education, 
	(1)  what factors have been taken into account in determining whether to proceed with a second round of Enterprise Summer School Pathfinders in 2008;
	(2)  what discussions officials in his Department have had on a second round of Enterprise Summer School Pathfinders to take place in 2008;
	(3)  what funding is available for a second round of Enterprise Summer School Pathfinders to take place in 2008;
	(4)  how many of the nine recommendations made following the evaluation of the School's Enterprise Education Network carried out by York Consultancy LLP in September 2007 have been  (a) accepted and  (b) implemented;
	(5)  what the cost was of the assessment of the Enterprise Summer School Pathfinders conducted by Oxford University in 2006;
	(6)  what the cost was of the evaluation of the School's Enterprise Education Network carried out by York Consultancy LLP in September 2007.

Jim Knight: The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has been working with partners to develop a second pilot enterprise summer schools programme, within the 'Young Chambers' (YCs) initiative launched in 2007 as part of the enterprise education strategy. Partners in YCs are the British Chambers of Commerce, the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT), the National Education Business Partnerships Network, and YCUK. The SSAT has invited all schools taking part in the Young Chamber programme to organise a 'summer enterprise workshop', offering support of £1,000 from allocated funds. The aim of the summer enterprise workshop is to give students a real experience of business—for example around entrepreneurship, setting up and running a business—using practical input from a local business or employer, and other relevant local partners. I am pleased to say that 25 schools have applied to date, and we hope that the number will rise to around 50.
	We have taken account of the evaluation of the 2006 Young Enterprise summer schools, and the SSAT is sending a copy to all applicant schools to ensure that the positive lessons can be learned. That evaluation was commissioned by Young Enterprise and funded from within the allocation made to them for the summer schools. The evaluation of the Schools' Enterprise Education Network (SEEN) carried out by York Consultancy was commissioned by the SSAT and funded from within the allocation made to them for SEEN; the DCSF intends to issue an Invitation to Tender for the future management of SEEN, and in doing so will take account of the recommendations made. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman when I have details of the costs of the two evaluations.

Children: Day Care

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of affordability of childcare for children under the age of five; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 13 May 2008
	The childcare sufficiency assessments which all local authorities were required to complete by 31 March 2008 took account of the affordability of childcare, which is one of the factors which can be regarded as the 'benchmark' of sufficiency.
	This Government recognise that childcare costs are a serious matter for some families in some areas, which is why we are doing more than ever before to make good quality childcare and early education accessible and affordable.
	We are investing £3 billion per year to support free early education, so all 3 and four year olds, irrespective of the employment status of their parents, can benefit from 12.5 hours of free early years provision for 38 weeks per year. This increases to 15 hours by 2010 and will be delivered more flexibly to meet families' needs. In addition, we announced in the Children's Plan an additional 100m to pilot a free entitlement for 20,000 of our most disadvantaged two year olds.
	We provide substantial help (totalling over £3 million a day) through the tax credit system, in providing up to 80 per cent. of childcare costs. This helps nearly 450,000 families, with nearly 280,000 of these families being those with children under the age of five.
	The budget increased the commitment to childcare by announcing additional pilots to support new approaches to childcare, building on good practice from the additional childcare support provided by the £33 million London Childcare Affordability Programme. In addition, the Government will also pilot new child development grants of 200 in 10 local authority areas, payable where parents take up their childcare places and have contact with their local Children's Centre.